Komodo Grav Tank
=Background Information= Development The Komodo is the first ever project that the Northern Federation and the Golek developed together combining plating and controls designed for human pilots from the Federation while the anti-grav system along with the weaponry were provided by the Golek. The tank was designed to work with Spetsnaz, providing the usually lightly-equipped soldiers with heavy firepower to utilize against more fortified positions that be impossible for light infantry. The project began during early 90AF and encountered numerous difficulties despite cooperation as both groups had different ideas, design and construction practices, different philosophies, and piloting mechanics when designing armoured vehicles, yet they had a very strict deadline forcing compromises to be made, mainly in reliability and ease of construction. The design would not be finished until mid 91AF and production would not begin until late 91AF as entire new factories had to be constructed to specifically build such a tank as none of the facilities on Vorkuta housed the proper manufacturing equipment needed. This almost shut down development of the Komodo as 91AF saw the outbreak of the Reclaimation War as funding and material was redirected elsewhere. Yet, those in the Spetsnaz, mainly those with considerable influence in the Federation's military saw that these facilities be completed as they still required a vehicle to accompany them during drops behind enemy lines which only got more dangerous due to the Reclaimers. Deployed during the Reclamation War in early 92AF and first seeing action on Gaia during Operation Hammerhead, the Komodo served its role adequately, providing Spetsnaz with heavy firepower and quick response abilities. The tank was also well-liked as it provided normally lightly armed reconnaissance units with something heavier than the lightly armoured Rattlesnake which could also be para-dropped allowing for more risks to be taken. Having collected the necessary data from both the field and operators alike, the Komodo was kept in production after the war, mainly used by Spetsnaz, though the military has begun slowly incorporating the vehicle into their ranks to supplement reconnaissance units. Role The Komodo was designed for use alongside Spetsnaz units, giving the infantry units some vital armour back-up as the grav engines were specifically designed to be dropped behind enemy lines alongside parachute units and giving them some much-needed heavy support. It is also used alongside reconnaissance units to give them some heavier support, and now also serve as a fast attack unit with divisions of Komodos zooming in at a high speed for a tank of its class and quickly break lines or flank enemy positions. Weaponry The Komodo is armed with a Particle Cannon, which fires high density particle lasers. This cannon can fire either a solid laser that is effective at dealing with enemy armour or a scatter laser which hits in an area blast effective at anti-infantry and pinning down positions. In addition, the Komodo is armed with a Pulse Repeater for self defense. This gun is controlled from inside the hull of the tank by remote and is aimed with a state of the art Combat Optic System that outlines enemy targets with a red diamond. Speed and Defenses With a top-speed of 160km/h, the Komodo can quickly move around the battlefield and is why it is used as a fast attack tank. This speed greatly aids it in defense as basic targeting systems can have a hard time tracking a vehicle at that speed. However, the Komodo is far from the fastest vehicle on the battlefield, but what it lacks in top speed, it makes up for in its armour. With medium tank-grade armour, the Komodo can shrug off small arms fire and smaller anti-tank weaponry increasing its survivability. With the same armour plating all around it can shrug off this type of fire easily from all sides. However, most dedicated anti-tank units can easily make it through this armour which is why its speed also helps in defense. The Komodo is best protected when its armour and impressive speed are combined, and should always be moving for the best results. Service and Repair The Komodo has highs and lows for servicing due to being a joint project between the Northern Federation and the Golek. The Komodo's armour and control systems are easiy replaceable and readily available, making software issues and armour penetration problems moot points to most Federate technicians as they operate and function very similarly to other Federate tanks. The anti-grav system and weapons themselves, however, are another point entirely. Being one of the few Federate tanks to support energy weapons and the first to have Golek developed weapons. This makes guns difficult to repair and expensive to replace as Golek technicians are generally required to service the gun and anything not repairable can take a long time to replace due to new technology. However, the biggest weakness of a Komodo is definitely the anti-grav engines as they are unarmoured and delicate, and very easy to damage. They are also the hardest thing to repair on the tank and the most expensive piece of equipment on a Federate tank to date, so if one gets damaged it can leave a Komodo out of commission for quite some time. However, there is a trade-off as most weapons are hard to aim at the grav engines and most enemies are ot focused on it, with land mines being the biggest threat. Luckily land mines are not as common as other types of anti-tank weapons and areas can be swept of them before Komodo units are deployed. Category:Vehicles